Environmental News Archive

New research suggests that mealworms can safely eat and digest polystyrene foam and other types of plastic. The two studies were recently published in Environmental Science and Technology from co-authors Professor Jun Yang and his doctorate student Yu Yang of Beihang University, and Stanford University engineer Wei-Min Wu. Within their research they found that the inside of a mealworm’s gut contains microorganisms that are able to biodegrade polyethylene and other plastics.

Recently, the University of California, Davis, partnered with Dart Container Corporation for a foam packaging recycling drive. Often mistakenly referred to as Styrofoam, a trademark of Dow, the material is widely used to package many items that students bring to school including televisions and other electronics. The effort resulted in half a truckload being collected. The event was the school’s sixth annual recycling drive and took place as freshmen students moved in for the school year.

The New York State Supreme Court today overturned Sanitation Commissioner Kathryn Garcia’s decision to ban foam foodservice items, clearing the way for the City to embrace a recycling program that would cover 100 percent of polystyrene products and generate new revenue for the City.

For the eighth consecutive year, Dart Container is bringing foam (often mistakenly referred to as “Styrofoam,” a registered trademark of Dow Chemical) recycling, education and volunteer efforts to the Great American River Clean Up. Last year, over 1,500 volunteers removed more than 21,000 pounds of trash and debris.

A ban on certain expanded polystyrene (EPS) in New York City is going to make an impact on senior living facilities. Polystyrene foam cups have advantages over paper cups in settings that cater to seniors. Healthcare providers will be forced to pay wholesale costs of alternative solutions that cost twice as much, or even more. That's tough to swallow when so many healthcare businesses are already being squeezed by tougher regulations and lower reimbursements.

(New York, NY) – Dart Container Corporation joined with the Restaurant Action Alliance NYC, members of the recycling industry, and the City’s restaurant owners today in filing a lawsuit seeking to overturn the City’s ban on foam foodservice items. Mayor Bill de Blasio, the New York City Department of Sanitation, and DSNY Commissioner Kathryn Garcia are named as respondents in the petition, which was filed against the Commissioner’s erroneous determination that foam cannot be recycled. The determination flagrantly violated Local Law 142 as well as sound environmental and economic policy and plain common sense.

A coalition including the Restaurant Action Alliance and Dart Container Corp. contends the ban Mayor de Blasio wants to start July 1 is illegal because the law requires the city to recycle such products, but Sanitation Commissioner Kathryn Garcia ruled arbitrarily that soft foam containers cannot be recycled.

Styrofoam proponents filed a lawsuit claiming that Mayor de Blasio’s ban of their product is a “sham” — and that he only went through with it to keep his campaign promises and not because it can’t be recycled.

For the fifth consecutive year, Dart is participating in Michigan’s Adopt-A-Highway program
Mason, Michigan – Dart Container has announced that through their participation in Michigan’s Adopt-A-Highway program, enough litter to fill 64 trash bags has been cleaned from Michigan’s Highway 127. Dart volunteers, including employees, friends, and family donated their time to this very important cause.

Atlanta, GA – More than 200 Georgians attended the 36th Annual Keep Georgia Beautiful Awards Luncheon on Friday, December 12 at the Marriott Century Center. The annual program honors individuals and organizations working to improve Georgia’s environment.

SACRAMENTO, CA – For the seventh consecutive year, with the help of Dart Container’s Lodi manufacturing facility employees, friends and family, volunteers collected 21,000 pounds of litter from the American River Parkway during the Annual Great American River Clean Up.

DAVIS, CA – The University of California, Davis announced today the collection of (hundreds) of pounds of foam containers through a partnership with campus Student Housing and Dart Container, which took place during the school’s annual green move-in recycling drive.

Indianapolis, IN — Plastic Recycling, Inc. (PRI) announced today the launch of a new recycling facility in Indianapolis, IN dedicated specifically to the recycling of post-consumer foam cups, foam take-out containers and other used polystyrene materials collected through curbside pick-up programs across the country.

Dozens of Dart Container employees participated over the weekend in the 25th Annual Great LA River Cleanup event, hosted by the Friends of the LA River (FoLAR), donating volunteers as well as foam recycling education for the sixth year.

Mason, MI — To support the recovery of post-consumer foam packaging, Dart Container Corporation is proud to announce the launch of HomeforFoam.com, an educational website dedicated to informing businesses, city governments, and schools about how polystyrene (PS) foam #6 can be recycled. It also provides a list of markets for the material, a list of the environmental and economic benefits to recycling foam #6, as well as a list of locations that accept foam #6 recycling facility.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — For the sixth consecutive year, Dart Container is bringing foam recycling (often mistakenly referred to as “Styrofoam”, a registered trademark of Dow Chemical), education, and volunteer efforts to the Great American River Clean Up. Last year, over 2,000 volunteers removed more than 17,600lbs pounds of trash and debris in just three hours.

Mason, MI — As part of Dart Container’s commitment to keeping our communities free of litter, it is participating in Michigan’s Adopt-A-Highway program. For two weeks, Dart volunteers, including employees, friends and family, will volunteer their time to the two-mile stretch of Highway 127 between Cedar Street Exchange and Railroad Bridge. The volunteers will be responsible for cleaning up any litter that they find on the side of the road.

Los Angeles, CA — For the fifth consecutive year, Dart Container is bringing foam recycling education and volunteer efforts to the 24th Annual Great LA River Cleanup hosted by the Friends of the LA River (FOLAR). On Saturday, May 18, 2013, employees from Dart’s Corona manufacturing facility joined thousands of other volunteers as they picked up trash and debris from the LA River.

ELLICOTT CITY, MD (June 5, 2012) – The Howard County, Maryland Department of Public Works announced a partnership with Dart Container Corporation, a leading manufacturer and recycler of polystyrene foam #6 foodservice products, to collect these products at the county’s Alpha Ridge Landfill Residents’ Convenience Center.

Gaithersburg, MD (May , 2012) –Environmental Resources Planning compiled information from nineteen litter surveys conducted in the U.S. and Canada from 1994 to 2009, including a 2008 national survey of 240 sites. The firm reviewed surveys that used statistically valid quantification and charcterization methodolgies.
The report finds that polystyrene foam food service products "consistently constitute a small portion of litter (1.5 percent). Evaluating just the surveys conducted since 2000 yields an even lower median value of 1.1 percent."

Dover, DE – Through a partnership between Dart Container Corp. and the Delaware Solid Waste Authority, the Del-Mar-Va Council, Boy Scouts of America (BSA) is reducing its environmental impact by recycling thousands of polystyrene foam cups - also known as foam #6 - that will be used at a peninsula-wide Scout Jamboree this weekend at the new Akridge Scout Reservation. Commonly referred to as “Styrofoam”, a registered trademark of the Dow Chemical Company, foam #6 is recyclable and is used in a wide range of products, from foam cups and foodservice containers, to the large molded blocks used to package electronics.

On Saturday, April 28, employees from Dart’s Corona facility joined hundreds of other volunteers at the 23rd annual Friends of LA River Clean-Up. Organized by Ed Rhodes, Sandra Ormonde, and Yvette Find for the fourth consecutive year, our employees were happy to join other volunteers in restoring the Los Angeles River. In addition to picking-up litter, the plant also had a booth to educate volunteers on the recyclability of foam products in Los Angeles.

Cabarrus County, NC — In partnership with the Cabarrus County Convention & Visitors Bureau and Continental Events and Sports Management group, the inaugural NC Half Marathon is reducing its environmental impact by recycling thousands of foam cups. This sport event is focused on setting a new standard for U.S. athletic events by incorporating green practices into each race.

CORONA/LODI, CA — For the 2nd straight year, CalRecycle has recognized Dart Container Corporation as a winner of its prestigious Waste Reduction Awards Program (WRAP). Dart was awarded based on its waste reduction efforts at its manufacturing facilities in Lodi and Corona.

With the global population hitting epic numbers, it’s more important than ever for us to conserve resources and reduce waste.
A growing number of entities throughout the Mid‐Atlantic are working to accomplish this by providing foam recycling services to their residents and businesses.

DOVER, DE — The Delaware Solid Waste Authority (DSWA) today announced a partnership with Dart Container Corporation (Dart), a leading manufacturer of polystyrene foam foodservice products, also known as foam #6, to collect these products at the Delaware Recycling Center (DRC) in New Castle.

BALTIMORE, MD — Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake and Public Works Director Alfred H. Foxx announced today a partnership with Dart Container Corporation, a leading manufacturer of polystyrene foam foodservice products, also known as foam #6, to collect these clean products, at no charge, at the Northwest Citizen's Convenience Center.

SACRAMENTO, CA — For the fourth year, Dart Container Corporation is bringing foam recycling, education and volunteers to the Great American River Clean Up.
On September 18, employees from Dart's Lodi facility will join thousands of other volunteers in picking up trash and debris from the American River Parkway, enhancing a 23-mile stretch of the river.

DAVIS, CA — The beginning of a new school year can be a fresh start for both new and returning students, a time filled with new experiences and lessons.
For students living in the UC Davis residence halls, this move-in day will be an opportunity to learn an important lesson before they even attend their first class. These students will learn about the importance of sustainable practices and the individual impact they can have on a cleaner future.

UNIVERSITY PARK, PA —This fall, Penn State Campus Dining will begin collecting polystyrene foam and working with the Office of Physical Plant (OPP), the Campus Sustainability Office and Dart Container Corporation to have it recycled into reusable products.

WESTMINSTER, MD — Dart Container Corporation, a leading manufacturer of foam foodservice products, has announced it is now offering foam recycling to Carroll County, making it the first area in central Maryland with these services.
Through a partnership with Carroll County, Dart Container will collect postconsumer foam from the Northern Landfill in Westminster.

HARRISBURG, PA — Dauphin County Commissioners Jeff Haste, Mike Pries and George P. Hartwick, III today announced a partnership with the Dart Container Corporation, a leading manufacturer of foam foodservice products, to collect polystyrene foam, also known as foam #6, at the county’s recycling facility in Harrisburg.

CRADLEY HEATH, West Midlands, UK — Polystyrene foam collection has arrived in the West Midlands. Dart Products Ltd has today unveiled the first free public polystyrene foam collection centre in the West Midlands where local businesses, residents and organisations can drop off foam with the number 6 on it for recycling.

CORONA, CA/PRNewswire — A collaborative effort involving public school systems, a waste hauler, a foodservice distributor, and Dart Container Corporation to recycle foam school lunch trays has hit a new milestone in California – with more than one million trays now being collected and recycled each month.

Spokane, WA — Dart Container Corporation, a leading foam foodservice manufacturer, was recently selected by the Association of Washington Business (AWB) for environmentally friendly activities at its Washington facility. At a luncheon honoring companies for their environmental programs, Dart's Tumwater, WA, facility was awarded with a Conservation and Pollution Prevention Award for its environmental policies and overall stewardship.

LOS ANGELES, CA – Dart Container Corporation is once again partnering with Friends of the Los Angeles River (FoLAR) and sponsoring the 22nd annual Great LA River CleanUp.
For the 3rd consecutive year, employees from Dart Container Corporation's Corona facility will join hundreds of other volunteers in the CleanUp, picking up litter near the Long Beach Estuary. The Estuary, one of the 14 sites for this year's CleanUp, is the location where the paved cement along the LA River ends and the river's freshwater mixes with saltwater from the Pacific Ocean.

PLANT CITY, FL – Dart Container Corp., a leading manufacturer of foodservice and packaging products, has partnered with Fox to recycle foam material from the set of the latest X-Men film, "X-Men: First Class.'' To date, more than 7,500 pounds of foam have been recycled, or approximately seven semi-truck loads, some of which was reused to develop additional sets for the film.

CORONA/LODI, CA – Dart Container Corp., a leading manufacturer of foodservice and packaging products, is a winner of the prestigious 2010 Waste Reduction Awards Program (WRAP) by the California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle) for waste reduction efforts at its manufacturing facilities in Lodi and Corona, the company announced today.

Green Magazine Television produced by WDCC, is a television series about global sustainability. The series showcases some of the latest technologies and innovative concepts being utilized by companies. Dart Container Corporation's Mason, MI recycling center was featured in a segments aired in December 2010 on The Discovery Channel, CNBC, and The Learning Channel.

Arlington Heights, IL – A stack of lunch trays reaching nine feet high recently proved an important point for children at Arlington Heights School District 25 – collecting the foam ( ) trays for recycling can help save landfill space and be transformed into useful products. In partnership with Dart Container Corp, the school district is diverting their school lunch trays from the landfill by delivering them to Dart in N. Aurora so they can be processed for recycling. Recycled foam can be reprocessed into premium picture frames, interior molding, and many other products.

WASECA, MN – Waseca Public Schools has added another R to the more traditional "reading, 'riting and 'rithmetic," teaming up with Michigan-based Dart Container Corporation to pioneer a new way to recycle foam as part of the school district's dining services.

CHICAGO, IL – Dart Container Corporation was recently inducted into Keep Chicago Beautiful's Recycling Hall of Fame. The honor recognizes Dart's efforts in raising awareness about foam recycling, as well as our ongoing programs to seed recycling activity through Recycla-Pak, CARE (Cups Are Recyclable) and free foam drop-off at our U.S. plants. Dart is proud to be on the KCB Board of Directors.

SACRAMENTO, CA – Discarded foam cups, clamshells and other litter picked up by volunteers and dropped off by the public during the Great American River Clean-Up could soon become ingredients for picture frames or decorative moulding, thanks to sponsor Dart Container Corporation.

Atlacomulco, Edo. Mexico - As part of its strategy to support the community, Dart de México launched its first collection center for recycling of foam (expanded polystyrene) in Mexico, which will have capacity to process 400 tons of this material annually. This free service will help reduce the storage of this material in Mexico landfills.

LODI, CA – Lodi’s Dart Container, a company employing more than 100 people in the area, will be providing and recycling foam cups from the 4th annual Kaiser Permanente Avenue of the Vines Half Marathon & 5K. Sunday’s race, through country roads with scenery of grape vines and mustard seed just east of Lodi, is taking its place among already established marquee athletic events across the U.S. in setting a new standard in reducing its environmental impact. Dart is contributing more than 8,000 cups and collecting the cups to be recycled at its plant in Lodi, where they accept used foam products for recycling at no cost to the public. Once collected, the material is used to make new products including picture frames or decorative moulding.

LOS ANGELES, CA – For the 2nd year, Dart Container Corporation had a table at the 21st annual Great LA River Clean up, where employees both educated volunteers about the recyclability of foam and picked up litter along the Steelhead Park site. Dart brought foam recycling education to the annual Friends of the Los Angeles River event on May 8 to remind consumers that foam products, like many other plastics, are recyclable, and to encourage the responsible public disposal of litter as a way of preserving an important Los Angeles watershed and habitat.

MASON, MI – Foam is greener than some people may think, and the Dart Container Corporation is extending its efforts to educate consumers about the environmental benefits of foam on its new U.S. line of printed stock cups. Ten different messages printed with solvent-free UV inks on the brightly-colored hot and cold beverage cups serve up facts about the recyclability of foam and how foam compares environmentally to similar paper-based products. The messages, which invite consumers to learn more at www.dart.biz , reinforce Dart’s efforts nationwide to promote recycling of foam, and to dispel misperceptions about foam’s environmental attributes.

MASON, MI Dart Container Corporation, with more than 1,000 local employees, is holding an open house at its post-consumer foam collection facility in Mason to celebrate Earth Week and educate the community about the recyclability of foam (often improperly called “Styrofoam,” a registered trademark of the Dow Chemical Company).

WAXAHACHIE, TX – Foam recycling has arrived in Ellis County. Dart Container of Texas today unveiled in Waxahachie its latest post-consumer foam collection site. The free drop-off will pioneer a new way for Texas residents, businesses and organizations to recycle foam with the number 6 on it.

QUITMAN, MS – Foam recycling has arrived in Clarke County. Dart Container Company of Mississippi today unveiled in Quitman its latest post-consumer foam collection site – the first in the state. As one of a growing number of regions to be equipped with foam recycling infrastructure, the free drop-off will pioneer a new way for Mississippi residents, businesses and organizations to recycle foam with the number 6 on it.

AURORA, IL – Foam recycling has arrived in Kane County. Dart Container Corporation of Illinois today unveiled in Aurora its latest post–consumer foam recycling drop–off site – the first in the state. As one of a growing number of regions to be equipped with foam recycling infrastructure, the free drop–off will pioneer a new way for Illinois residents, businesses and organizations to use and reuse foam with the number 6 on it.

TUMWATER, WA – Foam recycling has arrived in Thurston County. In celebration of its 25th anniversary of manufacturing in Washington, Dart Container Corporation, in conjunction with Thurston County Solid Waste, today unveiled in Tumwater its latest post-consumer foam recycling drop-off site. As one of a growing number of regions to be equipped with foam recycling infrastructure, the free drop-off will pioneer a new way for Washington residents, businesses and organizations to use and reuse foam with the number 6 on it.

COLUMBUS, GA – Aflac’s international headquarters has teamed up with Michigan-based Dart Container Corp. to pioneer a new way for Georgia businesses and other large corporations to recycle foam as part of food-service operations.
As part of Dart’s CARE (Cups Are REcyclable) Program, Aflac is leasing a foam densifier – a machine designed to compact a mound of foam food containers and trays the size of a small car into the size of a five-gallon bucket. The CARE Program helps large operators using foam food service products separate foam from other products, consolidate collected material, and have it recycled. Recycled foam food service products can be reprocessed into building insulation, plastic lumber, and many other products.

HORSE CAVE, KY – Dart Container Corporation today unveiled its latest post-consumer foam recycling drop-off site in Horse Cave, Ky. As one of a growing number of regions to be equipped with foam recycling infrastructure, the free drop-off will pioneer a new way for Kentucky residents, businesses and organizations, such as local Mammoth Cave National Park, to use and reuse foam with the number 6 on it. This is one of the state’s first public site to accept foam food service containers, including foam cups, plates, take-out containers, egg cartons, as well as shaped or molded foam often used to package electronics. This effort, Dart’s 8th drop-off location in the country, will divert foam from area landfills and allow it to be recycled into new products such as base boards and moldings.

DES PLAINES, IL – Maryville Academy, a childcare organization serving children and families in need, has teamed up with Dart Container Corporation in a commitment to Sustain an eco-friendly 24-hour dining service and divert foam from landfills. The effort launched today will divert nearly 700,000 pieces of foam from area landfills each year.

LANSING, MI – Mason’s Dart Container is the sole provider of the annual Capitol City River Run’s foam cups, which will be collected on-site for recycling. Sunday’s race is taking its place among already established marquee marathon and half-marathon events across the U.S. in setting a new standard in reducing its environmental impact.

CARMICHAEL, CA – This year, in conjunction with the American River Parkway Foundation and Keep California Beautiful, Dart invited the public to drop-off their clean, bagged foam food service containers for free at the Great American River Clean-Up. Applicable items included foam cups, plates, clamshells, and shape molded foam packaging, often used to package electronics. The Dart drop-off took place on Saturday, Sept. 19 on the north side of the river at William Pond Recreation Area.

Dart Container Corporation provides on-site collection of polystyrene packaging foam for recycling as students move into the dorms.
LANSING, MI – Like many campuses across the U.S., Michigan State University’s (MSU) Office of Campus Sustainability is helping the school set a new standard in reducing its environmental footprint by partnering with a local company to recycle leave-behind foam on move-in day.

CALIFORNIA – Recycla-Pak”, a foam cup recycling program for small businesses, is now available in California from Dart Container Corporation through its network of wholesalers. Recycla-Pak provides a special bin for collecting used foam cups that, once full, can be sealed and shipped back for recycling of the cups, freight prepaid.

STOCKTON, CA – A Stockton elementary school’s year-long effort to recycle cafeteria polystyrene lunch trays to save money and teach students and the community an important lesson about sustainability earned tributes from school officials and California lawmakers.

CORONA, CA – This event was attended by Corona Mayor Jeff Miller, Corona City Councilmember Eugene Montanez, Keep California Beautiful President Kris McNamara, and by representatives of State Senator Jim Battin and State Assemblyman John Benoit. Dozens of local residents brought loads of polystyrene foam during the event. After Corona Mayor Jeff Miller presented Dart with a key to the City of Corona, Dart offered a tour of its collection facility that included a demonstration of its proprietary foam densifier.

LODI, CA (October 3, 2008) – Dart Container Corporation opened its newest post-consumer polystyrene foam (commonly known as Styrofoam®, a registered trademark of The Dow Chemical Company), drop-off site at its Lodi, CA plant. This is the San Joaquin Valley’s first such facility and it accepts foam food service containers, including foam cups, foam plates, foam clamshells, and shape or molded foam packaging, often used to package electronics.